1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to distributed computer networks and more specifically to a method and system for improving data transfer between a client and server computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the prevalence of distributed computer networks and development of mass storage and low priced disk devices, database systems of the server-client form have recently increased. Generally, a distributed computer system comprises a collection of loosely coupled machines (mainframe, workstations or personal computers) interconnected by a communication network.
Through a distributed computer system, a user or client may access various servers to store information, print documents, access databases, acquire client/server computing or gain access to the Internet. These services often require software applications running on the user's desktop to interact with other applications that might reside on one or more remote machines. Thus, in a client/server computing environment, one or more clients and one or more servers, along with the operating system and various inter-process communication (IPC) methods or mechanisms, form a composite that permits distributed computation, analysis and presentation.
In a typical distributed computer network, many clients are simultaneously coupled to the server. Server database requests by the many clients may occur concurrently thereby slowing the transmission of data to each of the clients. Conventionally, when a client issues a database request to the server, the server must wait until it receives all of the statements in the database request before it can start processing the request. This results in wasted processing time and creates unnecessary overhead in the network.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and system that allows a server to service client requests more efficiently and reduce the overhead time associated with servicing requests.